Man ordered to trial for possessing nearly 1.5 pounds of pot

A Reno County judge Thursday ordered a local man twice convicted on felony marijuana counts to stand trial for having nearly 1.5 pounds of pot in a new case.

Following an hour-long preliminary hearing, District Judge Joe McCarville bound Julian Price, 34, over on three felony counts, including possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, felony flee and elude and felony interference with a law enforcement officer.

The charges stemmed from a June 29 pursuit in the county that began when a sheriff’s deputy attempted to pull Price’s vehicle over for having a tag that didn’t match the vehicle. When the officer activated his lights, the vehicle didn’t stop, and the driver began tossing items from the car.

“It wasn’t a high-speed pursuit, and it only lasted long enough for Mr. Price to throw all the evidence out his window,” said Reno County Deputy District Attorney Tom Stanton.

After Price stopped, other deputies responded to the scene and searched alongside the highway for several miles, collecting some 22.9 ounces of suspected marijuana originating from Colorado in several labeled containers.

Because the amount of marijuana exceeded 450 grams, it becomes a severity level 2 drug crime, carrying up to nearly seven years in prison. The interference charge stemmed from tossing the drugs out of the vehicle, requiring officers to work to collect the evidence.

Price was convicted last year for possessing more than a third pound of pot. McCarville, following a plea deal, granted Price a departure from sentencing guidelines and placed him on a year’s probation. For undetermined reasons, Stanton said, his probation was ended early, so he was not under supervision when arrested in the current case.

Price was also previously convicted in Saline County in 2001 for possession of marijuana and aggravated battery, and in 2003 for aggravated assault and criminal possession of a firearm.